Comments (0) Best Bloody Mary - 2001
King Cole Bar and Lounge
2 E. 55th St.
New York, NY 10022
212-753-4500
The old boys' club that is the KING COLE BAR AND LOUNGE claims to have created the Bloody Mary in the '60s, and although the drink dates back at least to Paris in the '30s, who's arguing? Here, the goblet actually looks like it's filled with blood, and the smoky and spicy flavor is nirvana. Plus it arrives with a silver tray heaped with macadamia nuts and wasabi peas. Sure, all this class will run you an astronomical $15, but with such white-glove service and a plush interior—including the coup de grâce, a multimillion-dollar Maxfield Parrish mural depicting the Merry Old Soul passing gas—it's easy to ignore the decrepit suits and rich internationals talking stocks.
